News

Maine Young Agents Host Legends Panel

November 6, 2017

The Standard Insurance Weekly

PORTLAND, MAINE — What doa double lung transplant recipient, atrained soprano/art teacher and a formerprofessional basketball player havein common? They have all enjoyedlong, fulfilling careers in the insuranceindustry.

Co-moderator Rebecca Fullerton of Acadia Insurance,

Bill Chalmers of Chalmers Insurance Group,

Carol Aigner-Bacon of Aigner Insurance Training,

Dana Eddy, who is retired from MMG Insurance,

and co-moderator Ashley Rosborough of J.T. Rosborough.

The Maine Young Agents Committeehosted a “Legends Panel” at its salesand leadership conference, which gavepeople who are new to the business thechance to ask seasoned professionalsabout their careers.

Bill Chalmers, CIC, co-owner ofChalmers Insurance Group and lung recipient,always knew he would have acareer in the insurance industry becausehe came from a family of agents, includinghis grandfather, father and uncle.

Growing up, the dinner conversationoften revolved around insurance issuesand claims. He even remembers chasingfire trucks to the scenes of local fires tosee if it was one of his dad’s insureds.

A family connection also brought DanaEddy, CIC, retired from MMG Insurance,into the industry, but only after astint as a professional basketball playerin Philadelphia.

Carol Aigner-Bacon, AAI, of Aigner InsuranceTraining, landed in the industrythe way many people do — by accident.She had been working as an artteacher when she moved to Maine, metsomeone and married into the business.While she spent some time as a licensedagent, her real love was being aninsurance instructor.

All three panelists had mentors whohelped them along the way. For Aigner-Bacon it was Mary Karatsanos, whostarted the National Association of InsuranceWomen chapter in Portland.

Eddy noted that many agents were “verykind” to him when he was starting out,including Bill Chalmer’s father, Herb.Chalmers had built-in mentors in hisfather and brother and now relishes hisrole as a mentor to others. “It’s a greatway to give back.”

Those mentors and others helped themget through some rookie mistakes.Chalmers joked that he tested the bindingauthority principle a time or two.Eddy admitted to being a bit undisciplinedin his early days, rushing to gethis work done, so he could spend histime on the ski slopes. Aigner-Baconnoted that numerous carrier employeeshelped her along the way, double checkingthat she really meant what she hadfilled out on forms.

When asked what changed the mostduring the course of their careers, theanswer was simple: “everything.” Eddysaid in the days before computers,email and cell phones, everything hadto be laboriously typed out and storedin huge filing cabinets. The pace wasmuch slower but included more of apersonal touch.

Chalmers agreed, saying that in thepast more sales were based on relationshipsthan being mere transactions.“Transactions are price driven whereasrelationship sales are about offeringcounseling. The key question is to determineif someone really needs yourcounsel. They’re your bread and butter.”Aigner-Bacon is concerned that underwritersand producers don’t have thesame kind of conversations about risksas they used to. “In personal lines andsmall commercial, it is the rules thatapply and that’s that. Before, underwritingwas willing to trust you if yousaid X. I think some of that has beenlost. It changed because of automationand artificial intelligence … underwriters’hands are tied much more than theyused to be.”

When asked what advice they would giveto new talent, Chalmers said, “If you’resmart and you work hard, you’ll havegreat opportunities in this profession.”Eddy encouraged young professionalsto “network, stay visible and keep active.”For Aigner-Bacon, the key is tocontinually learn and to keep currentwith designations and licenses. “Don’tever let your license go; you never knowwhen it will help you. You’ll take it withyou anywhere you want to go.”